About the Cedar Lake, Indiana Area
 

CEDAR LAKE

LOCATION: The town of Cedar Lake is situated on the shores of a lovely 805-acre spring fed lake in scenic Northwest Indiana also know as “Indiana’s Chicagoland”.  Just 16 miles south of Gary and considered part of the Chicago metro area, it’s only 40 miles southeast from the bright lights that shine on the city of the big shoulders.  Nearby the junction of US Routes 41 and 231 and just west of I-65 and south of I-94, Cedar Lake is known as the “Garden Spot of Lake County” and famed as a paradise of recreational pursuits.  Lake County sits on the southern tip of Lake Michigan, boasts miles of sandy beaches and is 140 miles north of the state capital of Indianapolis.

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS: With major interstate expressways like I-65, I-80 and I-94 within a fifteen mile radius, Cedar Lake is easily accessible by car yet far removed enough to retain its natural character.  Served by the regional airport at Gary less than half an hour away, major airports like Midway National Airport and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago are an easy hour commute.  Amtrak rail service connects in Dyer just ten miles north and Greyhound bus service is available from the county seat of Crown Point only seven miles east.

BRIEF HISTORY: Cedar Lake was named for the red cedar trees that lined its shores.  A town was established in 1886 and named Armour after the Chicago meat packing company, which cut ice from the frozen lake during the winter months to chill its famed hot dogs.  Soon Oscar Mayer and other sausage titans followed and an ice harvesting industry thrived on what was then known as Lake of the Red Cedars. In summer, the railroads brought tourists from Chicago and more than forty hotels sprang up to house the city dwellers escaping to swim, fish and boat.  Electric refrigeration and the Great Depression brought an end to the hey day of ice cutting and lakeside hotels, but Cedar Lake as it became known, continued to welcome recreational enthusiasts to its scenic splendor and refreshing waters.  A local celebrity, the original Dr. Scholl began his foot care empire in Cedar Lake in 1906, while working for his grandfather, the town shoemaker.  Incorporated in 1969, still blessed with natural beauty now joined with a modern infrastructure that serves a population of 8000 residents, Cedar Lake is a community offering an outstanding quality of life.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS: Of course, Cedar Lake itself is the most special attraction of all.  Spring fed, 800 acres, with 7 miles of shoreline offering activities like boating, water skiing and swimming, generations of folks have retreated to its tranquil banks.  The public can access the lake at Park of the Red Cedars and Potawatomi Park.  A Welcome Center is also operated at Cline Avenue and Lake Shore Drive with an extensive boat launching site and fishing pier.  The Lake of the Red Cedars Museum set in an historic former hotel documents the rich history of the town while the Cedar Lake Bible Conference Center has preserved and enhanced many structures that date back to the lake resort era.

EDUCATION: Cedar Lake is served by 3 public elementary schools and one combined junior and senior high school.  Several area colleges and universities also welcome students including Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech State Northwest in Gary, the Calumet Campus of Purdue University in Hammond, Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL, Governors State University in University Park, IL and South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.  Chicago has excellent higher education learning facilities including Chicago State University, De Paul and the Chicago Art Institute.